Astride his horse, Zheng Fan appeared carefree and languid. If not for the armor forcibly propping him up, he might have collapsed into a heap of mud.
The five centurions behind Zheng Fan all wore bitter expressions, radiating anxiety and fear. They felt as if they had been sold into a brothel on their first day, utterly unwilling.
In Blind Bei’s "Hindsight Letter," he had once mentioned that Zheng Fan must maintain a high profile after their operation in Mei Village to secure his own position. He must not bow his head or concede. As long as he remained high-profile, no one would dare to provoke or investigate him! However, if he showed any sign of guilt or weakness, endless troubles would follow.
Finally, in the letter, Blind Bei also stated that if the situation were to become unmanageable, my lord must protect Siniang, that weak woman, and evacuate Hutou City immediately!
Although Zheng Fan hadn’t received Blind Bei’s letter in advance due to various reasons, his dramatic performance in front of Comrade Deep Sea had, in effect, served as proactive cooperation.
Zheng Fan understood this principle well. Just as those fraudsters promoting high-tech schemes, like turning water into oil, could thrive and receive strong official support within the country, the higher profile you kept, the more people believed you; the more grandiose your boasts, the safer you were.
The Earl of North Border’s manor was too prominent, so prominent that no one dared to challenge its authority.
The Earl of North Border’s manor was so lofty that even if someone did try to leverage its name, others wouldn’t know.
At this moment, Registrar Chen had already been tied up by Ding Hao and dragged along the street like a cleaning cart; he was mangled and lifeless.
He was truly out of luck.
Honestly, if you wanted to force yourself upon a widow and seize her family’s property, wouldn’t you be more discreet? Lure her into your own house or a private villa, perhaps? Why choose a crowded place like a restaurant, and one right next to me, Zheng Fan, a man renowned for his public spirit, righteousness, impartiality, and eagerness to help? Sigh, what was the point of all that trouble?
Currently, Zheng Fan was leading his freshly gathered henchmen and their hundreds of soldiers toward the Chen Family. This was the only solution Zheng Fan could devise to break the deadlock: escalate the matter, blow it up so big that no one would dare to utter a peep.
People often say that the dead tell no tales and are best at keeping secrets, but there’s another truth: few are willing to speak up for the dead.
Besides, the thought of fleeing had already crossed his mind; there was nothing he wouldn’t risk now.
Zheng Fan forced himself to muster some energy.
Leading men to annihilate a family this early in the morning felt like having seven or eight heavy courses for breakfast—a bit rich and unsettling.
The Chen Mansion was very close to the restaurant, which mercifully shortened the duration of Zheng Fan’s queasiness.
He sat on horseback, surrounded by a troop of soldiers.
Zheng Fan tilted his head back slightly. Behind that stone lion, on that wall corner, and even directly in front of me... all excellent camera positions. Right now, I must look exactly like some villainous eunuch from a TV drama, leading soldiers to ransack the home of a loyal official. If this were a TV show, my destiny would probably be to get slaughtered by the heroes after they’d grown up and come seeking revenge. Then, the end credits would roll over my corpse as the heroes walked away into the sunset...
Ding Hao, on the other hand, appeared quite excited. After all, for many things, there’s only the difference between doing them zero times and countless times. He had already exterminated his superior officer’s entire family once; this was his second foray into such an act.
The excitement and anger on the faces of the soldiers below were plain to see.
News of what had transpired had spread widely: their fellow soldiers’ bodies were barely cold, yet their widows and orphaned children were already facing bullying. These common soldiers didn’t possess the calculating mindset of those in power, weighing gains and losses. They only knew that the families of their comrades had been wronged, and now a captain named Zheng was leading them to exact revenge!
Circles are inherently exclusive; when their collective interests are threatened, members instinctively band together. The military is the group that exemplifies this pack mentality most strongly.
Zheng Fan saw numerous groups of soldiers, who likely didn’t belong to the five centurions under him, yet they had all armed themselves and joined the procession.
Some units, having arrived in formation—presumably to maintain order and mediate the dispute—promptly switched sides upon learning the full story from other soldiers and joined the encirclement of the Chen Mansion.
Zheng Fan noticed several captains of Hutou City. They didn’t approach, but neither did they try to control their own men.
Firstly, they were wary of Zheng Fan’s background. Secondly, if they were to intervene and obstruct this, how could they possibly lead their soldiers in the future?
During Zheng Fan’s moment of hesitation, the gathering troops multiplied. Those unaware might have thought a military drill was taking place.
Several times, Zheng Fan’s hand was poised to rise.
He knew full well that once he raised his hand and then lowered it, the soldiers surrounding him, now numbering over a thousand, would—without needing orders from the five centurions behind him or the captains observing from a distance—surge forward and bloodily annihilate everyone in the Chen Mansion.
Behind the main gate of the Chen Mansion, people were clearly moving about. Over at the compound wall, heads also peeked out from time to time. However, since dozens of private soldiers had already been sent out, not many should be left inside the mansion.
The Chen Family was a hereditary line of functionaries in Hutou City. For generations, their scions had served as minor officials in the city’s government office, effectively making them a dominant local power.
This family had one weakness: though their influence seemed pervasive, unlike the masters of the forts outside the city, their foundation was entirely within the city walls, right inside this very mansion.